Vehicle antenna



9- H. F. JENKINS 2,478,273

VEHICLE ANTENNA Filed Dec. 11, 1947 Fig.

Harald F. Jenkins INVENTOR.

BY Wm Patented Aug. 9, 1949 VEHICLE ANTENNA Harold F. Jenkins, Elmira, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to Weston H. Jenkins, Elmira, N. Y.

Application December 11, 1947, Serial No. 790,987

2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in antennae for vehicles such as automobiles, and the like, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herein described, which being equipped with greater surface area as compared to antennae of conventional type. will substantially enhance the receptive efiiciency of the radio receiver with'which the antenna is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle antenna which, being adapted for mounting exteriorly of the vehicle, is equipped with means for preventing violent oscillation thereof in the air stream, such as is commonly experienced when theso-called whip antenna of conventional type is employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle antenna which is simple in construction and which may, if desired, be conveniently associated with the whip antenna already in existence.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a vehicle antenna which will readily lend itself to economical manufacture, which will not easily become damaged, and which is otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended.

With the above more important objects in view, and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in Figure 2, and;

Figure 4 is an end view, taken in the direction of the arrow 4 in Figure 1.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the invention consists of a vehicle antenna designated generally by the reference character It], the same embodying in its construction a bendable rod II disposed in a substantially upright position and secured at the lower end portion thereof to a vehicle, while its upper end is provided for purposes of ornamentation with a sphere, or the like, I2.

This rod is of the conventional whip type, commonly employed as an antenna on automotive vehicles, and the essence of the invention resides in the provision of a frusto-conical receiver i3 which is movably attached to the upper end portion of the rod H, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Needless to say, by providing the receiver I3, the surface area of the antenna is considerably increased, thereby substantially enhancing the reception efficiency of the radio receiver with which the antenna is used.

The frusto-conical receiver I3 is open-ended, and is provided in the major end thereof with a diametrically extending bar I4, the latter being, if desired, securely riveted in position, as indicated at I5. The major end portion of the receiver I 3 is also formed with a pair of diametrically opposed, vertically aligned slots l6, ll, these being adapted to receive the rod I I, substantially as shown.

A helical spring I 8 has the end portions thereof anchored on the mid-portion or the bar It as indicated at 9, the spring I8 passing around the rod i I and thereby retaining said rod in frictional engagement with the bar I4.

Finally, a strip 20, provided in the end portions thereof with longitudinally extending slots 2I, 22, is secured to the receiver I3 adjacent the aforementioned slot I'I, this being accomplished by providing the receiver with a clamping bolt 23 which is adjustably accommodated by the slot 22 of the strip. The slot 2| of the strip 20 coincides with the slot I! of the receiver I3, and the rod II extends through the slot 2|, as will be clearly apparent from the accompanying drawing.

When the invention is placed in use, the receiver I3 is applied to the upper end portion of the rod II as has been already explained, and when the associated vehicle is standing still, the rod I I is vertically disposed, while the axis is the receiver I3 is horizontal.

However, when the vehicle is in motion and when air pressure causes the rod II to bend to a position exemplified by the phantom line 24, the flow of air through the receiver I3 will maintain the receiver in a substantially horizontal position, regardless of the amount of bending or deflection to which the rod II is subjected. The maintenance of this horizontal position of the receiver 13 is, of course, facilitated by the provision of the slots I6, H, the rod II moving in the direction of the arrow 25 in the slot I6 and in the direction of the arrow 26 in the slot I1, as indicated in Figures 1 and 3. It will be apparent that in this manner,

violent oscillation of the aerial in the wind stream will be efiectively prevented.

It should also be explained that the slot I6 is somewhat longer with respect to the slot l1, the inner end 21 of the latter slot engaging the rod 1 l and thereby maintaining the receiver 13 in a horizontal position when the rod II is normally upright, as shown in Figure 3. I d I On some vehicles the rod II is mounted in a slanting rather than in an upright position, and accordingly, means are provided for pre-adjusting, so to speak, the receiver l3 to a horizontal position while the vehicle is standing still. g

The said means consist of the aforementioned strip 20 which, by virtue .of the slot 2|, straddles the rod 1 I. In the event that the rod lishould be normally disposed in a slanting position as illustrated by the phantom line 28, the screw 23 may be loosened and the strip 20 slid forwardly, that is, in the direction of the arrow 29, so that the inner end 36 of the slot 2|, rather than the inner end 21 of the slot ll, engages the rod H and normally maintains the receiver IS in a horizontal position.

It may be noted that while the foregoing disclosure the rod H has. been referred to asa component part of the invention, it should be understood that the rod. may already be in. existence of the vehicle in the form of the conventional whip antenna, in which instance the receiver l3, together with the associated mounting. means, may be applied to the existing rod in. the form of an attachment.

It is believed that the advantages and use of g the invention will be clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further deisoription thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there hasbeen shown and described the preferred embodiment of this LII invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a vehicle antenna, the combination of a resilient supporting rod adapted to oscillate in a vertical plane from an initial substantially upright position, a horizontally elongated hollow signal receiver open at least at one end, and a pivotal connection attaching at least one point on said open end of said receiver to said rod, said connection having a horizontal axis extending transversely or the receiver, whereby the latter may remainsubstantially horizontal in an air stream while the rod is inclined from its initial position to prevent formation of undue stresses in said rod.

2. The device as definedin claim 1 together with means for pre adjust'ing said receiver relative to said rod, whereby the receiver is substantially horizontal when said rod is in its initial position.

HAROLD F. JENKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS llrunlo'er Name Date Mar. 21, 1933 B. 101,128 Lonsford Sept. '8, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 446,441 Great Britain 30, I936 

